Lunar Cycle
by Stuart Johnson
Summary: A group of four seek finish the task Nightmare Moon set out to accomplish. Can Equestria survive? More importantly, can the fourth wall survive? The answers to all these questions and more can be found within...


Four. Great things came in groups of four. The four founding elements, fire, earth, water, and air. The four temperaments, melancholic, sanguine, phlegmatic, and choleric. The four seasons, winter, spring, summer, and fall. The four cycles of the moon, new, crescent, gibbous, and full. Wherever it went, the number four was a signal of change.

Tonight, four were gathered, and change was what they had planned. They converged on a system of ruins that had once been the splendor of Equestria. Once, it had housed the six elements of harmony, and served as the battleground between Nightmare Moon and the group of six that sought to destroy her. The armor of that black specter still lay crumbled in a heap in the midst of the main chamber, forever marking her downfall. These dilapidated halls had seen their last use in that battle, and had been long since covered with a fine carpet of grass and ivy, settled in among the thick dirt that coated the floor. The ancient pillars had cracked and chipped, looking as if the slightest tremor would send it crashing down. Yet, despite its obvious instability, this was the meeting place of choice for this quartet.

One was colored a deep crimson, his coat reflecting the color of blood. On his flank sat a mark, shaped like a cruel, curved saber. From his spine sprang a pair of wings, signifying his position as a Pegasus. His tail and mane were long, whip-like tongues of flames, burning brightly with rich orange and yellow hues. Below the inferno was a pair of blue eyes, both rather small and squinted. They seemed to be constantly shifting, as though he couldn't possibly keep them focused for more than a split second. The rest of his body seemed to follow suit, as ever muscle in his body seemed to twitch and shiver as he stood.

Another approached him, looking far calmer than he was. This horse had no wings, and there was no horn that graced her skull. This one was merely an earth pony, yet she held herself as if she were a goddess. Her body, mane, and tail were as black as the night that surrounded them, causing her to blend with the darkness. It was as if somepony's shadow had risen up to walk the earth. She might have disappeared altogether, were it not for two things. The first was a pair of luminescent green irises that shown through the dark, much more like those of a feline than a pony. The second reason was her cutie mark, which appeared to be a pair of scales. One side of the scale was filled to the brim with gold, yet seemed to be lighter than a single grain of wheat that rested on the opposite side.

The third was the total opposite of the black pony. For starters, he was white, and seemed to glow beneath the dim starlight. On his thigh, the image of a crown rested, overlaid with a composite bow, complete with an arrow set to the bowstring. His mane was a stark contrast to his body, and was a much darker shade, drifting heavily into the grayish side of the spectrum. The hair seemed to be alive, and was constantly writhing about, as though hundreds of snakes made up his mane. His mouth had curved into a smile, something that none of his comrades managed to do. Above his grin, his blue eyes seemed to sparkle with the curiosity of a child, yet it was painfully evident that he lack any remnant of his childlike innocence.

The final member of the four rested atop the small stone pedestal where Nightmare Moon had met her match. He was colored a pallid green, his skin looking like that of a corpse. He looked sickly, almost skeletal, a far cry from that altar's last inhabitant. A search for a cutie mark upon his flank would be a fruitless effort, for his body was devoid of such an image. On his forehead was a small, lump-like horn. He was the sole unicorn of the group. His eyes were sunken back in their sockets, and seemed as though they were being forced to stay open. Yet, despite his appearance, he was still only a filly. He was no larger than any of the others, in fact, he seemed the smallest and weakest of them all, and yet somehow he demanded respect from each and every one of them.

"Good evening." The red pony spoke to the others, his voice echoing around the empty chamber. "Glad to see you could all make it tonight."

"Cut the formality, War." The black replied, "Why did you bring us here?"

War kicked at the pile of black pieces of armor that lay on the floor. "This, sister Famine, is why we are here. The only objects Nightmare Moon left in Equestria. We need them if we want to finish her task."

"Then let's get on with it. We came here to bring eternal night, not sit around and chat." Famine said, reaching for the helmet. However, a white hoof came down over her's, and remained there, pinning it to the floor.

"We can't." The white horse replied, "First of all, only Death knows the resurrection spell we need. Second, he can't perform the spell without a solar eclipse."

"Can't Death produce a solar eclipse?"

"He can, but he kinda needs the sun in the sky to do that."

"Touche."

"Pardon my interruption," War cut in, "Could you two please shut up so I can finish explaining our motives?"

"Fine." Famine replied, taking a seat on the stone below.

"Now, as I was saying," The pegasus continued, "To resurrect Nightmare Moon, we need to bring about a solar eclipse. Death can do that without much trouble. The real problem comes from the elements of harmony. They destroyed her once, they can do it again."

"So how do you plan on fixing that problem? I mean, it would be pretty useless to revive her only to get killed again..." The white horse who has yet to receive a name questioned.

"It's simple really, Pestilence." War went on, finally cluing us in to the name of his partner, "Nightmare underestimated the elements. She assumed that by destroying the orbs that symbolized them, that it would get rid of the elements themselves. What she didn't realize is that the elements are embedded within a group of six ponies. Thus, as long as these six are alive, so are the elements."

"So you're saying we should kill them?" Famine said, placing a hoof on her chin.

"Exactly."

"Wow. That motive could have been easily summed up in just a few lines of dialogue."

Pestilence suddenly butted in. "It could have, but it wouldn't have sounded nearly as interesting."

"Good point."

War stooped down, picking up the helmet Nightmare had worn into her last battle. It was cold, and had begun to rust from disuse. He couldn't stand to see that. A leader as great as she deserved a far better memorial than a pile of dirty metal. Soon, her plans, the plans which so many other ponies had scoffed at, opposed, and ruined, would come to fruition, and in ways that she never could have dreamed of.

Death, the young filly on the pedestal, rose shakily from his position. He strode down the steps, and stopped as he reached the armor. His horn began to glow softly, casting a light aura around the bits and pieces. At the mere tilt of his head, they floated up from the floor, levitated by the force of his magic. With the ancestral mail in tow, he began to silently march towards the exit.

"Death has the right idea." Famine said, motioning to the others. "It's a long way to Ponyville from here."

So, without any further elaboration on their plot, they rode off into the night, prepared to change the world. After all, four was the number of change. War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death. The Four ponies of the Apocalypse.

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><p>Authors Note: Alright, here it is. Chapter one of a fanfiction I thought up on the spot. This chapter was a lot of exposition, introduction and description, but now that it's out of the way, there should be a lot more action. I promise the next chapter will actually include the mane cast. So please, leave a review, tell me what you think.<p>

Long live the Bronies.


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